


Ghost in the Mirror

by No_Trust



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 01:59:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6175888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/No_Trust/pseuds/No_Trust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a catastrophic incident involving the Force a young woman wakes up aboard a First Order Star Destroyer. Kylo Ren finds her to be a complete enigma. Reclusive and mistrustful, she possesses a remarkable capability with the Force but loses control in increasingly violent ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out of the Fog

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a terrible perfectionist so I will try not to take forever to put out new chapters. Feedback is appreciated, it's been a long time since I've written.
> 
> Chapters will have a song to go with it as a theme or mood setter. I'll link to it in the notes.
> 
>  
> 
> Song for Chapter One: "(Life in the Arctic)" by Kill Hannah https://youtu.be/TGt1zS5H-wA

THAT STAR STREAKED SKY

Too often are the good corrupted. Beauty, charm, intellect, and delicate insight are all for naught. Merely the passing flash of a star when looked upon from under a tree on a windy night. Often the star makes no impression. Not lasting. In the seldom times when our gaze is held fast, rapt attention is forced on the spectacle. The beauty of a crashing creature, made more appealing by her fair looks, calls for reverence beyond indifferent glances and half-hearted feigned interest. Shouts for truth and pleas for clues strengthen the defiant determination of her set lips. What is it like to fall? From her view everyone is the traitor and no one, not even herself, is in the right. No, nor are they in the wrong. The initial drop leaves her limp and dumb.  
Down. Down. A sympathetic eye? No. Just the reflection of her lifeless, staring eyes, wide with disbelief and calm acceptance. An understanding gaze? No. Just the helpless look of a stable man.  
There.  
There. Beyond the haze. Two warm eyes and a sure hand approach. Too late. Her hands scrabble against slick sides, straining to gain purchase, to find her way back up. At least to the hand. Just that far. It offers time. Time before there is truly no return.  
Wait. No. It is too good for there it no hand to be trusted. Not one is dependable.  
What is it? All of this? Simply?  
A dream.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

She emerged from unconsciousness slowly, laboriously. Fighting her way out of the black as if digging herself out of the mud at the bottom of a lake. The ambient sound of silence came next, pressing into her eardrums. That hum that you only notice when all is still, the vague sense of everything at rest. The white noise of idle machines. Reflexively she tried to open her eyes but the weight of her eyelids seemed immense. It was a battle to keep herself there. No coherent train of thought. She gave under the strain of the pressure and let herself sink gently back down into the mud. It enfolded her, welcoming her back with a blanket of blissful nothingness.

 

She was floating, her body lighter than it had ever been. She opened her eyes sluggishly and felt herself moving. Being carried. The textured fabric against her cheek seemed distant, the feeling of it almost an afterthought. She tipped her head back slightly letting the weight of it do most of the work. Her eyes remembered to see and captured a half blurred image of silver lines framed in black. Her hand came up clumsily and as if of its own accord to lightly touch the edge of one of the lines. She felt cool metal against her fingertips. It tipped down as if looking at her. Her meager energy was sapped from the simple action. Her hand dropped and her eyes closed sending her back to her watery grave.

 

The third waking was quick and complete. She woke to the stabbing feeling of intense hunger. It clawed at her insides so fiercely that she nearly retched. Rolling to the side in case her body betrayed her, she took deep steadying breaths. A med-droid came to life at her movement and the dimmed lights came up as it came to her side. It procured a glass of water from a nearby surface and offered it to the human. She propped herself up on one elbow and taking small sips, forced the nausea down. Feeling sure that she wasn't going to vomit, she sat up slowly, gazing around the room. It was a sleeping chamber of goodly size with brushed metal walls, smooth dull black floors, and sleek black doors; the bed was incredibly comfortable and more than roomy. The door to her left slid open almost soundlessly and a smaller droid entered bearing a tray with bread and fruit. It chirruped and deposited the load on the bed near the human.

Taking careful, measured bites the young woman worked through the meal. The quantity wasn't large but it was more than enough to fill her, of late, unused stomach. There were needle marks in the crook of each arm where fluids had obviously been administered. She didn't know where she was or how long she had been there but apparently someone or something had been keeping her alive. Seeing she was finished with her meager meal the small droid removed the tray and exited as another larger, more human shaped droid entered and waited as the med-droid took its patient's vitals. Apparently satisfied the med-droid retreated to its corner and went dormant once more.

The newly arrived droid introduced itself as HY-58, a female programmed hospitality droid. HY-58 helped the girl push back the covers and swing her legs to the left off the side of the bed. Slowly, and with support from the droid she stood shakily on her own two feet. She took a few small, almost shuffling, test steps on the hard, cold floor. The droid guided her through a door to the left, in the same wall the head of the bed was against. It was a bathroom almost bigger than the adjoining bedroom. A sink and large mirror sat on each side of the entrance along the near wall, the toilet sat on the left side of the room at the end of that side's counter. A big square half-sunken bath dominated the back left of the room and a spacious glass walled shower took up the back right corner. There were no decorations and all the fixtures gleamed silver. The floors and walls were the same dull black and brushed metal as the bedroom, the counter tops and bathtub were a black granite with flecks of shining white.

Carefully, the pair approached the bath; HY-58 started the water and helped the other undress. When the tub was full and steaming the droid helped the unsteady person up the two wide steps and down into the bath. The young woman sank gratefully down into the water settling on one of the granite benches. The water came up almost to her chin and she practically melted in the blissful heat of it. Her muscles, stiff from laying still so long, began to loosen. She closed her eyes and sat perfectly still, letting the hot water swirl around her body. After a few minutes she took a deep breath and submerged herself, moving forward to sit on the floor of the cistern. She felt a sharp pain above her right eye and raising her hand to it, felt a deep cut held shut with a few stitches. Her hair splayed in the water, reaching for the surface and floating around her head. She kept her eyes closed, trying to recall why this seemed so familiar; the near weightlessness of her body, the ethereal feel of her hair brushing her shoulders and face. There was just a flash of a placid lake surface, soft blue. Her eyes flew open and she stood, her head breaking the surface, lungs gasping for air. Pushing her hair out of her eyes, she returned to the bench and stared at the shampoo that had appeared on the lip of the tub. Shaking the fog from her mind she proceeded to rub the sweet scented liquid into her long dark brown hair and submerged once again to rinse it out. Next she began to wash her body, working slowly, gently and inspecting each scrape or bruise she found. The bruises seemed several days old and their colors varied greatly. It appeared that a majority of the expected grime had been sponged away while she was unconscious; even so she revealed milky white skin as she ran the wash cloth over her body.

Finally clean and more clearheaded she emerged from the bath and wrapped a towel around her. The air and floor were cold against her now warm skin and she shivered as the air chilled the water still clinging to her. HY-58 who had been nearby the whole time came forward and wrapped a second towel around the girl’s shoulders. Moving to the nearest sink, the young woman gazed into the mirror, seeing herself for the first time in quite some time. She was pale, the cut above her eye stood out starkly red and purple and black, her face was drawn. Blinking at her reflection she began to dry herself off. A set of plain white clothing was neatly folded on the counter. She pulled on the underclothes and reached quickly for the soft white drawstring pants, drawing them up her legs she shivered again as several beads of water dripped from her hair and ran down her back. Straightening up she popped a toothpaste tab in her mouth and chewed, the sharp mint flavor was a welcome departure from the stale taste that lingered in her mouth. As it cleaned her teeth she started toweling her hair dry. She then picked up a brush and began working through the tangles, gently separating the strands; her hair fell in soft wavy curls, the ends of which brushed her elbows and waist. Seeing her start to clumsily braid her hair, HY-58 stepped in and quickly braided it into one neat plait. Slipping on the white shirt to complete her outfit, she returned her gaze to the mirror. She studied herself for a few seconds more then turned and walked back to the bedroom.

In her absence the bed had been stripped and remade. She crawled onto the dark gray bedspread and sat cross-legged in the middle of it. Placing her hands palms-down on her knees and with her back straight, she closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed to rhythmic crawl. She pulled her consciousness in with each inhale and cast it out with each exhale. As she sunk into the familiar blackness she began to pick out the little points of energy in the space around her. Reaching out with her mind she gently plucked an orb and watched as it moved from her fingers to her palm and down her arm. It faded from sight as it sunk into her skin. She felt the prick of energy move through her. Repeating this, she set to work healing as she had done countless times before. It was comforting, being back inside herself. The void was an old friend, her fortress. Before long she ceased, despite drawing the energy from around her, healing like this took a toll on her. Instead she just meditated, strolling around in her mind as if inspecting a house after an extended vacation, making sure everything was as it had been left.

Even as absorbed as she was, she heard the near silent sliding open of the room's door. A presence entered and she removed herself from her introspection. Turning her head to the left she saw a tall, broad shouldered, male form standing just inside the doorway. The figure was in all black; hooded, masked, robed. An imposing sight, the girl gazed at it expressionless. The two regarded each other for several long moments, neither making a sound nor reacting in any way. When she finally blinked the figure took a step forward.

 

“What is your name?” The deep, modulated voice asked without any particular emotion.

 

The girl paused, then said slowly, “Bitter Dethly.”

 

Silence again.

 

“I am Kylo Ren,” the man said. When this failed to elicit a response he continued, “You should be dead.”

 

“I thought I was.” Bitter replied.

 

“You very nearly were.”

 

Bitter seemed to consider this. Obviously she had been found and someone, this man perhaps, had revived her. Dropping her gaze to the corner of the bedspread she remained quiet.

 

“The med-droid reports that you are healing quickly.”

 

She gave a small nod, eyes still cast down.

  
Kylo studied the girl. She was pretty, fit, and decidedly reserved.

 

“Who are your parents?” he asked.

 

Bitter looked up at him and shook her head minutely.

 

“Where are you from?”

 

“I move, don't stay anywhere too long.” she replied.

 

“What do you do?”

 

“I take odd jobs, usually with animals. Transportation and control.”

 

Kylo continued looking at her and started to shake his head slightly, “How were you missed?” he said, more to himself than her. “How were you _missed_?”

 

“I don’t…” Bitter trailed off shaking her head as well, brow a touch furrowed.

 

Changing the subject he said, “If there wasn't a bounty on your head before, there certainly is now. That... incident on the planet was enough to ensure that. There are many people in the galaxy that would pay a great deal for a Force user, even more so one with your power. There are also many that would pay to have you removed from the equation completely.”

 

“Which one are you?” Bitter asked.

 

“Both. Neither. Perhaps I'm the auctioneer."

 

She looked at him, evaluating the blank facade. Without consciously doing it she started to move curiously into his mind, trying to understand who she was dealing with. Before she could register anything she was violently ejected, the man snarling at the intrusion.

 

“I've killed countless Force sensitives one more out of the way makes no difference.” he snapped, covering his surprise at the unexpected attempt. “Try that again and I'll rethink letting you wake up.” he threatened, taking a step toward the bed and the clearly jarred young woman. He hadn't kept her alive just to kill her over something like this, but she didn't know that.

 

Bitter leaned away from him trying to gather her thoughts. Never once had she met another person who shared her abilities, let alone someone with the power to fling her out of their head like that. Any words she would have thought of died on her lips. The shock of meeting someone else _like_ her practically vibrated through her body.

 

“That was clumsy and stupid,” Kylo continued, “Did you really think, untrained as you are, that would work on a Knight of Ren?”

 

“A what?” she found her voice. “I don't know who or what you are. I'm sorry I just didn't... You're hiding yourself...” she was rattled.

 

Seeing her struggle to put it together, Kylo realized she hadn't been able to sense him in the Force and had assumed he was normal. This mildly impressed him. She was obviously untrained but this showed a remarkable development of the powers on her own. Bitter didn't take her eyes off of him, not frightened, but wary.

“Be more careful and we won't have any problems.” Kylo said after a minute, voice back to its customary intonation. “Tomorrow we're going back to the planet and you're going to tell me what happened. Whatever you did there, I want to know how.” Without waiting for a response he turned and swept from the room.

The door slid shut behind him and Bitter let out a shaky breath. Mind reeling from the encounter she put her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. Wherever she was it seemed safer than the planet, barely. This Kylo Ren was evidently a powerful man and he wanted her alive for now, that was a mark in her favor, one she hadn't had on the planet. Pushing her palms against her eyes until she saw stars she took a deep breath and returned to her meditative pose.

Bitter meditated until her next meal arrived with HY-58; by then her mind was calm and clear. She thanked the droid and ate her food slowly, savoring the warm meal. When she was finished the med-droid reactivated and checked her again, leaving the room with HY-58 when the examination was complete. Left alone, Bitter stood and stretched, joints popping from being in the same position for so long. She walked around slowly, inspecting the sparse room. A single leatherine arm chair sat in the corner by the door, the only furniture besides the bed and the nightstands flanking the bed. An empty closet was opposite the foot of the bed. Taking up most of the wall opposite of the entrance was a large framed indentation where a window would be if it were an outer room. Instead as she touched a corner of it, a screen came to life. She stepped back gazing at the image of the black space outside dotted with distant stars. The ship she was on was orbiting the planet but the projected view was aimed away from it.

After a few minutes she deactivated the screen and crawled into bed, fatigue creeping up on her as the room lights had begun to dim with the night cycle. As she drifted off to sleep she tried not to think about going back to the planet. One thing at a time. Sleep.


	2. Reaper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bitter is forced to confront what happened on the planet.
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter's song is "Reaper" by Sia. https://youtu.be/XeM0lzQhigg

Bitter slept soundly through the night, waking only when the day cycle was a few hours old and HY-58 brought her breakfast. When she was finished with her meal she freshened up in the bathroom and assessed her half healed injuries. The cut above her eye looked better and many of the scrapes and bruises had vanished; her muscles weren't as stiff and she moved easier.

Upon reentering the bedroom HY-58 informed her that she needed to get measurements of the young woman for new clothing. After Bitter selected a few styles, the droid left the room to place the order and find appropriate clothing for journeying down to the planet.

HY-58 returned a bit later bearing a small bundle of clothing. “Your boots were the only salvageable pieces from the outfit you arrived in.” it said, handing them to her. “The rest of this should do temporarily until your new garments arrive.”

Stripping off the white clothing she'd slept in, Bitter pulled on a pair of fitted black pants, a black short sleeved shirt, and what appeared to be black regulation socks with an unfamiliar insignia emblazoned on them. To complete the outfit she slid her feet into her black boots. The fronts were laced up and tied and she merely needed to zip up the inside of each to their mid-calf height. After neatly rebraiding her hair, she made the bed and sat on the edge of it near the door to wait.

She knew this day would determine what would be done with her. Going back to the planet was dangerous for her, especially considering what had transpired right before Kylo Ren found her. She hoped his presence would offer a modicum of protection or at least deter any of her enemies from making an attempt on her life. Again.

 

He came for her shortly. The door swept open and Bitter rose, moving to the side Kylo indicated for her to step into the hallway. The hallway was fairly wide, the walls were made of the same brushed metal of the room and the floor was a uniform industrial gray. Accompanying him were two armed, armored, and helmeted soldiers in white. She was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of 'no visible face' rule she wasn't aware of.

Kylo led the way down the hall, Bitter following, and the guards bringing up the rear. Walking behind the tall man obscured most of her view since the top of her head came up barely to his shoulders. So far the hallways they traversed looked identical and they passed no one. Before long they came to a larger hallway and turned left. At the end of this they passed through large double doors and entered a massive hangar. She took in the enormous number of ships docked here, mostly small fighters but interspersed with other larger vessels. This was the first place she saw other people; dozens of workers in black hurried around, intent on their tasks and more white soldiers were dotted around the space. They moved down to the floor of the bay and headed for the most imposing ship which was sitting in the center of the departure area. The sleek black ship crouched there like some sort of bird mid-flight, a few workers moved around it running last minute diagnostics. Half a dozen more soldiers flanked the ramp evidently awaiting the group's arrival. Bitter noticed a wide berth was being given to the foursome and the workers didn't glance up from their tasks.

When they reached the foot of the ramp one of the soldiers stepped forward and said, “Your ship is ready Commander Ren.”

Kylo didn't slow and swept past up into the belly of the ship. Bitter followed, mulling over the title _Commander_. The interior of the ship was dimly lit and everything appeared to be black; they passed through a large room of some kind and into a smaller vestibule with a few fixed seats. Kylo motioned to a black padded chair and she sat letting her eyes adjust to her surroundings. The eight soldiers had filed up the ramp behind the pair and moved to a rear compartment out of sight. After a brief visit to the cockpit Kylo returned and sat in another nearby seat. A few brief moments later Bitter felt the ship come alive around her, the electronics hummed, the thrusters producing a low rumble as they warmed up, and a distant hiss indicated the ramp being raised. Almost imperceptibly the ship began to move.

When they were clear of the departure bay and out into space Kylo began to speak, “We are going to land in the vicinity of where you were found. The locals may be unhappy with our presence but the stormtroopers are ordered to protect you. They will follow my orders implicitly. You will tell me what I want to know and withhold nothing. You will not attempt to escape or seek help.”

Bitter remained silent knowing full well that no one would _want_ to help her.

 

The ship landed smoothly some distance from the edge of a large village. Flanked by eight stormtroopers the pair descended to the lush swaying grass. Bitter tipped her head to the sky and closed her eyes, savoring the feel of its warmth on her skin and the kiss of the breeze ruffling a few strands of loose hair. Wordlessly the group set off towards the distant treeline, their feet shushing through the long grass. As they entered the trees Bitter shivered; not from the shade but from knowing where they were going, and what she was going to have to face. The walk was less than a mile but to her it seemed to take forever and no time at all.

When they entered the large clearing she stopped. She wasn't seeing the flattened charred grass or the small crater with fresh dirt blown outwards in large clods. She wasn't smelling the fresh scent of forest and flowers. Kylo watched her carefully, noting the far off stare, the two small steps she took forward into a scene that was no more. Her face changed, no longer impassive. Wary, tense. Like a wild animal.

Kylo was about to speak when Bitter began. “I was headed into town, hadn't been in in a while. The first group of men jumped me about half a mile north of here. They came from either side of the path brandishing blasters. I got away, ducked into the undergrowth and headed this direction hoping to lose them and circle back towards the woods where I had come from. The second group got lucky. I ran right into them. So stupid. I saw the fire, I just didn't think... As surprised as they were, I couldn't get away before they realized who I was. One of them grabbed me and I fought. I just... kept fighting. They kept coming. The other group caught up and... I used anything I could get my hands on. I fought so long. Then it happened.”

Bitter was reliving the scene. Every blow, every kick. The men. So many of them. Surrounded.

“I could feel it building. I just wanted to get away and then...”

Kylo and his men had gotten there at the culmination of the fight. One minute she was fighting for her life against a dozen men and the next they were flung backwards at an incredible speed and dashed against the ground. Kylo saw the young woman standing in the newly formed crater. She swayed once, a dazed look on her face, then collapsed to the ground.

Bitter could still smell the smoke from where the wildly aimed blasters had set the grass ablaze, she could hear the men shouting. Blinking hard she brought herself back to the present. There was a long silence.

“They're dead.” Kylo said finally.

“All of them?”

“They never got up.” he replied.

She walked slowly to the crater, crunching through the charred remains of the grass. Kylo followed.

“I didn't even realize what I was doing. I just... lost control.”

“It saved your life.” Kylo said. “Those men were going to kill you.”

“Oh I don't regret killing them,” Bitter twisted her mouth. “I just hoped something like that wouldn't happen again. I was doing so well.”

“This has happened before?”

“Not this specifically, but I've... done things. I don't mean to, they just happen.”

She bent and picked up a rock with a smooth side from a blaster hit.

“Who sent the men after you?”

“A crime lord of sorts in this region, Ulric Hecton.” She examined the rock, turning it in her palm. “I took something from him.”

“And he wants it back,” Kylo finished.

“He knows he's not getting it back while I'm alive to stop him. Foolishly he wants to kill the only person who can locate it.” She tilted her head, bringing the stone closer to her face.

“It's hidden where you were staying.” he stated more than asked.

She looked at him slyly, enough to confirm what he'd said. Without warning she whirled around and hurled the rock into the trees thirty yards away, startling a flock of birds. They heard a metallic _thunk_ as it hit its mark. The pair walked over and Bitter kicked at a small cylinder on the ground.

“Sensor,” she said disdainfully. Kylo knew people would set up sensors like this one to monitor animal traffic making it easier to hunt. He had a suspicion this one had been calibrated for a more human prey. Either way the dented contraption was no longer operational after its high speed rock encounter.

“How far is this stolen property from here?” he asked.

Rubbing a leaf between two fingers she responded, “A few miles.”

“Take me there.” he ordered.

She nodded, took a few steps forward, then stopped and indicated the stormtroopers who had moved with them, “I can't guarantee their safety.”

Kylo stared at her for a moment then motioned for the troopers to stay put. Satisfied that they wouldn't be followed, Bitter moved farther into the trees.

Kylo noticed that the deeper they trekked into the forest, the more easily Bitter moved. She seemed almost to float along the forest floor, her boots not making a sound. There wasn't a clearly defined path but she had no problem finding the way, skirting around boulders and weaving between large trunks. He also perceived an unusual number of animals peering through the foliage at them. The critters didn't appear to be concerned with the humans in their midst and a few even came almost close enough to touch.

Nearly half an hour later they had moved into the densest part of the woods, Kylo's robes frequently threatening to catch on everything.

Bitter slowed her steady pace and said quietly, “It's just ahead.”

The two emerged into a sort of covered clearing. Boughs arched overhead and let the sunlight filter down, but the massive trees they belonged to were some distance away. Large boulders were strewn about decorated here and there with moss. A spring burbled out of the ground and gently trickled into a small stream that wound off into the trees. The most striking feature however was the abrupt rock cliff stretching almost two hundred feet into the sky.

High above something detached itself from the cliff face and dove towards the newcomers. Sensing Kylo was about to reach for his weapon. Bitter held up a hand and said, “No,” Never taking her eyes off the creature. She moved forward and knelt as it landed. The winged beast rushed towards her and she folded her arms around the creature in some semblance of an embrace.

Kylo recognized it as a Qom Qae and wondered how in the world it had gotten here. The planet they were native to wasn't even remotely close to this one. Also interestingly they were force-sensitive and partially telepathic, not easy to capture.

The creature was a smooth gray brown about two and a half feet long from its rounded snout to its wickedly taloned feet. It had a fairly long tail, slightly elongated neck and its wings were skin-covered.

Bitter was stroking its folded wings as it nuzzled her shoulder. Seeming to remember they weren't alone, she straightened up and turned to the man.

“Kylo, Mallix. Mallix, Kylo.” she said by way of introduction.

The creature chittered at the man and moved forward to sniff at his boots and robes. Kylo could see that the avian was still fairly young; fully grown but not yet at full strength.

Apparently satisfied, Mallix turned and scampered after Bitter who was moving towards the cliff face. She slipped into a fissure in the rock so well hidden, you had to know it was there. Kylo followed, his frame squeezing through the opening. The cleft opened into a small room that had formed naturally and was well protected from the elements. Bitter gazed around seeing that everything seemed to be as she had left it. Bypassing a small bedroll she went to the wall and picked up a pair of sheathed blades about two feet in length, slipped their straps over her head, and buckled them to her. She slipped a shorter blade into her boot then picked up the backpack sitting there. Opening it, she rummaged through the contents taking inventory. Satisfied she had what she came for, she put the pack on and turned to the silent Knight.

“It's in there?” He asked, inclining his head towards the bag.

She seemed puzzled for a second then the barest ghost of a smile touched her face. She looked down at Mallix who was sitting on the floor between them, then back up at the expressionless mask.

“ _Him_?” Kylo demanded incredulously.

“He would be the stolen goods.” she replied. “Someone stole his egg and several of his nest mates to sell to an illicit menagerie. He hatched on the ship that was delivering them and was the only one to survive. He passed through several hands before he got to the final destination which was here on this planet.”

“And you stole him why?”

Bitter sighed and moved around the Commander to exit the cave. “I was called in to sort out some... problems with the animals in the _collection_. Essentially the handlers had no idea what they were doing. I saw Mallix, tiny and sick, and went back later that night to take him. As young as he was, he could still communicate with me and helped me get him out. I brought him here to nurse him back to health and let him grow. I didn't count on him being the prized piece in that sick excuse for a zoo. I had planned on hopping a ship once he was well and taking him somewhere he could be free, but all the transports had been alerted of the situation and no one would even consider helping someone the local power player had deemed a marked man.”

Kylo was pissed. Not only had he come all the way out here for an animal, he knew exactly who she'd stolen it from and couldn't believe the nerve that the guy had spending the time and resources to get it back. He balled up a fist and released it saying, “We're done here.”

Mallix climbed up Bitter's leg and maneuvered around to perch on the outside of the backpack, clinging with the talons on his feet and smaller talons on the front edge of his wings. Folding his wings, he lowered his head to rest on Bitter's right shoulder. He yawned once, showing his double rows of razor sharp teeth, and closed his eyes, content that his human was back.

Kylo was already sweeping back they way they had come, anger quickening his pace. Twigs snapped and branches waved wildly as he barreled through the undergrowth. Bitter hurried to catch up not wanting to be punished if he thought she was trying to slip away. The pace settled to a more reasonable one after a few minutes but the Knight continued to clench and unclench his fists, the leather squeaking a bit.

There were no animal observers on the return trip. Kylo was making enough noise to scare anything away that didn't sense his simmering ire. Once a canid came running towards them knowing Bitter. The poor creature just wanted to help, sensing the anger and thinking Bitter was in trouble.

Before she could get the word, “Don't!” completely out of her mouth, Kylo had thrust a hand towards the creature, flinging it away into a thicket using the Force.

Hearing Bitter's utterance the man whirled on her, “What did you say?!” he hissed, shoulders seeming to swell in indignation.

She shrunk back in defense and didn't say a thing; Mallix flattened the small flaps that covered his ear slits in annoyance. After a beat Kylo turned back around and continued on.

When they emerged from the trees, the stormtroopers snapped to attention and quickly arrayed themselves around the Commander, matching his determined march.

Passing the Command Shuttle, Bitter darted up the ramp.

“Stay here,” she said taking off the backpack and Mallix with it. “You'll be safe. They're headed into town and I don't want anyone to see you. I'll be back, I promise.”

Mallix climbed up some cargo netting partially out of sight and chirruped. Plopping her bag on a table, Bitter sprinted back down the ramp and after the Knight and his troopers.

Her brief absence seemed to have gone unnoticed by the man. Two of the soldiers had halted when she boarded the ship but followed her once more as she rejoined the larger group still headed into town at a brisk pace. When Bitter saw where exactly they were headed she slowed her pace in dread. She knew those opulent tents erected in front of an even more lavish estate; the last place in the galaxy she wanted to be was Ulric Hecton's manor. Swallowing hard and squaring her shoulders she continued forward; the main group of troopers and Kylo had already entered the main pavilion.

Stepping into the dimmer interior of the tent she saw the Commander's back flanked by his soldiers; on the far side of the tent there were about fifteen men, Ulric Hecton stood in the center of those surrounded by a handful of his most powerful men.

“You have some nerve using the Order's time and resources for your own personal vendetta.” Kylo was saying, his mechanized voice dripping with displeasure.

Ulric laughed uncomfortably, “I'm not sure I underst--”

“I did not ask for an excuse.” Kylo spat, cutting him off.

“Of course not.” The man stuttered trying to regain his composure.

“You are here to serve the Order. You will follow the orders given to you and not take part in petty distractions.”

Bitter didn't take her eyes off the man in elaborate robes; her eyes were shooting daggers at him and her mouth was a hard line. Contempt pouring off her, the voices seemed to fade until all that existed was that haughty face on ridiculously embellished clothing.

Something snapped within her.

Drawing one of the blades from her back she strode forward, eyes boring into her target. Before anyone could react Bitter closed the distance, grabbed his collar, and buried the sword to the hilt in Ulric's abdomen. His eyes went wide with disbelief and pain. Giving her weapon a vicious twist she withdrew it and shoved the man away. She took a step back eyes lingering on her prey for a second longer then looked towards his second in command. The man was clearly shocked but moved on to fear as he found himself locked in her gaze. The only sound in the room was the dying leader, gurgling through his last breaths as he bled out. Without saying a word she conveyed her message: this was repayment. The man nodded twice. Bitter started to turn away but stopped as if remembering something, she bent down and wiped her blade clean on that garish garment.

Sheathing her weapon she turned and walked away, her face a mask of passivity. Without so much as a glance at anyone she exited the tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could have kept going but I didn't want the chapter to be super long.
> 
> Thanks to those who gave kudos on the first chapter!


End file.
